Matthew 24
The Olivet Discourse
The Olivet discourse is the longest prophetic speech Jesus gave in the gosepels. After leaving the temple, he stops at the Mount of Olives. His disciples turn to look at the temple and marvel at its beauty. Jesus shockingly tells them the temple will soon be destroyed. The disciples ask what will be the signs of the end times, and Jesus gives them a series of signs and warnings.
His sermon is known as the Olivet Discourse because he gave it on the Mount of Olives. It begins with a prediction that the temple would be destroyed completely, a prediction that was fulfilled in 70 AD. The Olivet Discourse is found in all three synoptic gospels: Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21.
1Jesus went our from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. | |
2But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down. | Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple. The temple was burned by Roman forces in 70 AD and then disassembling, leaving no “stone on another.” |
3As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” | The disciples asks for signs of the second coming and the end of the age. |
4Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. | |
5For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. | There will be may false Messiahs. |
6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. | Death and destruction must occur before the return of Jesus. |
7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. | There will be wars, famines, plagues, and earthquakes. |
8But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. | Birth pains are contractions before and during labor. The become increasingly more frequent and painful before the birth of the child. |
9Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. | Followers of Christ will be hated and persecuted. |
10Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. | Many will fall from their belief in Christ and report other believers to the authorities. |
11Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. | |
12Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. | |
13But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. | |
14This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all then nations, and then the end will come. | |
15“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), | |
16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. | |
17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. | |
18Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. | |
19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! | |
20Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, | |
21for when there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no nor ever will be. | |
22Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. | |
23“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is he Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. | |
24For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chose ones. | |
25“Behold, I have told you beforehand. | |
26If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. | |
27For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. | |
28For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together. | |
29But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; | |
30and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. | |
31He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to another. | Four winds is a symbol for all of creation. It is often used in conjunction with a supernatural act of God. |
32“Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that summer is near. | |
33Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. | |
34Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. | When the fig tree produces new leaves, the second coming will occur during that generation. |
35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. | |
36But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. | Only God knows the exact timing of the second coming. |
37“As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. | Noah’s time was notable for a period when man only wanted to commit evil. |
38For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, | People were not expecting the judgement of the flood, and were going about their daily lives right before it occurred. |
39and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so ill be the coming of the Son of Man. | |
40Then two men will be in the field: one will; be taken and one will be left; | Some scholars argue this is a reference to the rapture, when the believers will be taken up to heaven before God’s judgement on the earth. |
41two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. | |
42Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. | |
43But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. | |
44Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come. | |
45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? | |
46Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. | |
47Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. | |
48But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ | |
49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, | |
50the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t know it, | |
51and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be. |